Pest Management News

Pest Management News

Dr. John D. Hopkins, Associate Professor and Extension Entomologist – Coeditor
Dr. Kelly M. Loftin, Professor and Extension Entomologist – Coeditor

Contributors

Dr. Becky McPeake, Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist
Sherrie E. Smith, Plant Pathology Instructor, Plant Health Clinic Diagnostician

Letter #6

October 31, 2017

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Stopping Occasional Arthropod Invaders

John D. Hopkins When the weather begins to change in the fall and things get cooler, arthropod pests like the multi-colored Asian lady beetle, the boxelder bug, crickets, various stinkbugs, or spiders are just some of the pest problems that homeowners may have to deal with. The first thing most people think of when trying to prevent a pest problem is WHAT INSECTICIDE DO I SPRAY? However, there are other measures that should be taken that will help prevent these pests from entering your home and may even eliminate the need for an insecticide application. Pest proofing your home is the BEST way to prevent unwanted invaders at this time or

any other time of year. Your goal is to

prevent pest entry and eliminate conditions that are conducive to pest infestation. Here

are the ABC’s of pest proofing your home:

A. Ensure that screens on doors and windows are properly installed and

maintained. If you don't have screen doors on your home, install them. Any damaged screens should be repaired or replaced. Fine mesh screening will prevent all but the tiniest insects from entering your home.

B. Doors should seal properly. If air can pass through or light can be seen through cracks around doors then insects or spiders can get in. Install tight-fitting thresholds and door sweeps to the bottoms of exterior doors and use door seals to fill the gap around the sides and top of each door.

C. Cracks in the foundation, exterior walls, and fascia boards should be repaired. Arthropod

invaders use these cracks in to gain entrance to your home. Carefully inspect the exterior of your home and use your favorite caulk or silicone sealant to fill any cracks that are found.

D. Gaps around utility lines entering the home and gaps around appliance vents should be

eliminated. Just like cracks in the foundation, any gaps around dryer vents, gas lines, telephone lines, etc. should be filled. If gaps are too large for caulk, spray foam products may be helpful. Also, if

holes are required for ventilation (weep holes in brick veneer) copper gauze may be used to block pest entry while still allowing for air flow. Steel wool is not recommended if conditions for rust exist.

E. Varmint-proof wire or metal mesh should be installed on attic vents and crawl space vents.

Rats, mice, bats, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, birds and a myriad of other creatures may make themselves at home in attics or crawl spaces if you don't install barriers to keep them out. These animals may carry fleas, mites, or create conditions favorable for other pests that may then infest your home.

F. Moisture sources should be eliminated by fixing any leaks. Most insect pests require a certain

amount of humidity to survive and any source of moisture can be attractive to them. Promptly repair all plumbing leaks and remember, even condensation on pipes can drip and create conducive conditions for infestation. Make use of dehumidifiers if necessary. Basements or crawl spaces that flood during heavy rains should be equipped with a proper ventilation and drainage system.

G. Sanitation is extremely important so keep the kitchen clean. Where food and water is readily

available, certain types of pests will make themselves at home. Make every effort to keep your kitchen clean. Wipe, sweep, and vacuum surfaces as required, and clean up spills immediately. Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Toasters and microwave ovens should be cleaned out regularly and be sure to scrub down your stovetop daily. Properly dispose of food scraps and packaging.

H. Sealable containers should be used for food storage. Sealed storage containers not only

prevent pest entry, but also prevent cross contamination of other food stuffs if the original product happened to be already infested. Items like cereals, grains, dry beans, rice, and other pantry items should be disposed of immediately upon first sign of infestation. Non-perishable items should be stored in air tight containers while perishables should be stored under refrigeration or frozen.

I. Eliminate clutter. Cluttered home environments provide easily accessible sites for pests to hide and harbor. Dirty laundry should be kept in clothes hampers and laundered promptly. Floors should be kept clear of belongings and items should be properly put away when no longer in use (preferably in sealable plastic storage containers. Recyclable items should be rinsed and recycled promptly.

Beverage cans and bottles, milk jugs, pet food cans, etc. will all attract insects if they are not rinsed out thoroughly.

J. Clean up after your pets. Some pests like dry pet food so store your pet’s food in an air tight

container. Do not leave extra pet food exposed and accessible except at feeding time and clean your pet's food dishes regularly. Other pests like flies are attracted to pet waste so clean your cat's litter box daily. Also, wash pet bedding on a regular basis.

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University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture and County Governments Cooperating.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The mention of any commercial product in this publication does not imply its endorsement by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service over other products not named, nor does the omission imply that they are not satisfactory.

K. Frequent removal of household garbage is a necessity. Even before you can smell it, it is

attractive to pests so remove household garbage often. Line waste bins with plastic garbage bags and secure the bags tightly before taking them to outdoor garbage containers. Outdoor containers should not be located near entryways and regular scheduled pick up and removal should be arranged.

L. Clean trash bins as needed. Sometimes plastic liners or garbage bags tear and spills occur inside garbage cans. At least several times a year, clean the inside of garbage containers with soap and water or a mild bleach solution to eliminate smells and sticky substances that may attract pests. As before, outdoor garbage containers should not be kept close to the house.

M. Do not allow trees and shrubs to contact the house. Trees and shrubs in contact with the roof

or outside walls of your home can serve as a bridge to allow pests to gain access to your home. Keep shrubs and tree branches pruned away from the home.

If the above listed maintenance and sanitation guidelines are carried out, pests will be discouraged or prevented from invading in the first place.

However, if nuisance pests do get inside:

In large numbers,

1. They can be vacuumed up and the vacuum bag can be discarded outside. 2. Line vacuum hose with a stocking and insects will be conveniently bagged. 3. NO INSECTICIDE RECOMMENDED! If an insecticide is used, many insects will die in inaccessible places making clean up impossible and these dead insects will serve as a food source for other pest insects like dermestid beetles.

In low numbers or individually

1. Pests can be swept up and removed, or 2. Treated with an over the counter aerosol insecticide and removed. 3. Over the counter residual insecticides labeled for crack & crevice and/or surface treatment may also provide relief (Low numbers only)

The use of residual insecticides labeled for perimeter application can also help provide a barrier to prevent nuisance insect pest/spider entry.

Pest proofing or preventing nuisance pests from gaining entry in the first place is the BEST strategy for stopping problem pests from invading your home whether it is in the fall or any other time of year.

You should realize that achieving a totally arthropod free home is not practical. Entomologists from North Carolina State University have found that we share our homes with more than 500 different kinds of arthropods (insects, spiders, mites, and others). Click on the link below for some interesting

information from “Entomology Today,” an online publication from the Entomological Society of

America.

https://entomologytoday.org/2016/01/19/researchers-find-hundreds-of-arthropod-species-in-u-s-homes/

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Fall and Winter Pests of Livestock

Kelly M. Loftin With this being the last issue of Pest Management News for 2017, I thought it would be worth mentioning potential pests concerns that could become a problem before our newsletter resumes next spring. A little bit of knowledge and planning now can prevent pest problems that we may face in the upcoming winter and spring.

Fall Treatment for Horse Bots

Some areas of the state have received at least one or two killing frosts. This signals the best time to treat our horses for bots. Even those that diligently remove bot eggs throughout the summer and fall should treat their equine companions for horse bots. Although the adults are free living and do no direct harm to horses, their immature stages (larvae) can cause damage to the stomach lining which can lead to major health issues including colic.

Figure 1. Adult horse bot fly, Gasterophilus intestinalis (DeGeer). (Photo by Kelly M. Loftin)

Horse Bot Flies (Family Gasterophilidae). Horse bot flies are in the family Gasterophilidae. The larval forms are important internal parasites of equines. The three species considered important in the U.S. are:

Gasterophilus intestinalis (DeGeer), the horse bot fly; Gasterophilus nasalis (L.), the throat bot; and Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis (L.), the nose bot.

Adults resemble bees in that they are about the same size and hairy-bodied (Figure 1). Adult bot flies are short-lived, possess non-functional mouthparts thus do not feed. Adult activity begins in warm weather and ceases at the first frost.

Adult female bot flies attach eggs to the hairs of the

host’s body similar to lice (Figure 2). The site of egg

attachment is specific to the bot fly species. Horse bot flies attach eggs on the forelegs between the knee and hock; throat bot flies attach eggs under the jaw; and the nose bot flies attach eggs to the upper lip. Horse and throat bot fly eggs are stalkless; and nose bot fly eggs are stalked. For the horse bot fly,

Figure 2 a. & b. Eggs of the bot fly,

Gasterophilus intestinalis (DeGeer), deposited on

the hairs of a horse’s foreleg. (a. Marcelo de

Campos Pereira, http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/

b. University of Florida)

egg hatching is stimulated by moisture and friction from the animal’s licking. Larvae gain access to the host’s mouth by this licking, and burrow into the tongue or gums. They remain there for about a

month then pass to the stomach attaching to its mucous membrane where they remain for about 9 months (Figure 3). In the spring larvae (Figure 4) detach from the stomach and are passed with feces and pupate (Figure 5) outside their host. Adults

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emerge from pupae in about a month to 6 weeks. Horse bot flies may cause significant damage to the stomach lining and possibly stomach rupture or colic if the passageway between the stomach and small intestine becomes blocked. The life cycle of the throat and nose bot flies are similar to the horse bot fly, except mature nose bot fly larvae attach to the rectum near the anus; and the mature throat bot fly larvae attach in the duodenum (first section of small intestine) near the pylorus.

Chemical control of bot flies is aimed at the parasitic stage within the horse. Avermectin formulations containing products such as ivermectin or moxidectin are available for

Figure 3. Bot fly larvae, Gasterophilus nasalis (L.), attached to the pyloric region of horse stomachs. (Marcelo

de Campos Pereira, http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/)

bot fly control in equines. These products are relatively easy to use, fall treatments should be administered after fly activity ceases (generally after the second killing frost). The “Insecticide Recommendations for Arkansas - 2017” (MP 144

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/MP144/MP-144.asp ) provides a listing of

products available for controlling bots in equines. “Arthropods Pests of Equines” (MP 484

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/MP484.pdf ) provides biology and control

information on major arthropod pests of equines including horse bots. “Livestock Health Series:

Internal Parasites of the Horse” (FSA 3096 http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-

3096.pdf ) is available for more information on other internal parasites of equines including bots. Non-chemical bot fly control is aimed at the eggs. Equine owners can frequently sponge the horse with warm water or to stimulate hatching of bot fly eggs. New hatched bot fly larvae quickly die especially if done on a cool day. For the horse bot fly, concentrate

efforts on the animal’s legs

between the hock and knee. Also, applying insecticidal washes to egg laying sites can reduce the number of larvae ingested by the animal. Bot combs or pumice bot

Figure 4. Bot fly larva,

Figure 5. Pupa of bot fly,

Gasterophilus nasalis (L.)

( Marcelo de Campos Pereira,

http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/)

stones can also be used to scrape away the eggs. These remedies should reduce the

Gasterophilus intestinalis (DeGeer).

( Marcelo de Campos Pereira,

http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/)

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number of bot fly larvae ingested by the animal, but will not control any larvae that were unaffected and ingested. Because of the seriousness of bot fly infestations, treatment with a boticide to control the parasitic stages is recommended.

Very rarely, horse bots fly can cause ocular myiasis in humans. Ocular myiasis is an invasion of the eye by first stage larvae. These cases are rare and can occur in individuals handling horses that have bot fly eggs on their hair. On these rare occasions, bot fly larvae will enter the eye possibly as a result of rubbing their eyes. In other rare instances, hatched larvae enter the human skin causing cutaneous

myiasis which can result in visible, inflamed tracks, irritation and itching from the larva’s burrowing.

People working with horses during bot fly season should not rub eyes after combing or washing animals and thoroughly wash their hands.

Lice

Cattle, goat, sheep and horse owners need to at least think about lice on their livestock this winter. In many cases, the potential for severe direct economic losses in cattle caused by biting or sucking lice is fairly low. However, heavy infestations add to the stress of cold weather, shipping, poor nutrition and internal parasite load. Lice are generally most abundant on animals during the period of greatest winter stress and continue through early spring.

Why are lice a winter pest? Generally, lice do not survive well in the summer because hot temperatures are lethal to

Figure 1. Sucking louse, Haematopinus sp. (Marcelo de

Campos Pereira, http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/)

the insect. However, a small percentage of animals may serve as chronically

infested “reservoir” animals. A few lice on

the reservoir animals survive on cooler areas of the body such as the ear tips. As temperatures cool, louse abundance increase resulting in the movement onto louse-free animals. Crowed conditions that often occur at winter feed troughs exasperate this spread.

Lice are small (¹⁄10 to ¹⁄8 inch), wingless,

species-specific external parasites of livestock and poultry. Two species occasionally infest equines: the horse

sucking louse (Haematopinus asini)

Figure 2. Horse Biting Louse, Bovicola equi (Denny).

(Marcelo de Campos Pereira, http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/)

(Figure 1) and the horse biting louse (Bovicola equi) (Figure 2). In cattle, one species of biting lice, the cattle biting louse (Bovicola bovis) and three species of sucking lice; the shortnosed cattle louse

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(Haematopinus eurysternus), the longnosed cattle louse (Linognathus vitula), cattle tail louse (Haematopinus quadriptusus) and the little blue cattle louse (Solenoptes capillatus) occur. Sucking

lice pierce the skin and suck blood while the biting lice move about on the animal chewing hairs, skin and secretions. Both types of lice are problems during the winter and early spring but as mentioned earlier reproduce year-round at least on some animals. Lice are spread from animal to animal by direct contact such as shipping or feeding. Animals infested with lice will have an unkempt coat, scaly skin and possibly raw areas on the skin.